Chapter one: At the Beginning

The day I met the Marauders I was going to Diagon Alley for school supplies. And though I had been there countless times, today it seemed bigger and filled with more wonder and potential than any of my visits in the previous eleven years. Sirius was looking around, walking beside our family properly and respectably, but he had that look. That look that said he was looking for our escape.

He was always saving me.

"Don't goggle, Cassiopeia. It's just Diagon Alley."

There was nothing 'just' about Diagon Alley today, but I didn't bother to point this out to her. It would do no good. I looked straight ahead the way she commanded, only looking around with mild interest the way I had been taught.

"Orion," a civil and fake voice said with an equally questionable smile. Mother and Father turned to find Abraxas Malfoy. "Is it time for Sirius and Cassiopeia's first year already?"

I wanted to drown the conversation out, unconcerned with the pleasantries, but Lord Malfoy's son Lucius was there, giving me a polite bow. "Miss Black, you're growing up well."

I gave a small nod of my head to answer his. "And Mister Malfoy, I hear you take your OWL's this year at Hogwarts. I wish you well on them."

There was some sort of commotion behind them and he turned, as did the adults to see what the racket was. There was nothing pure-bloods loved more than the prospect of a scandal. I felt a hand on my wrist and suddenly my brother was pulling me away from them. This was our escape.

We ran, I pulling my skirts up to my ankles so I could run easier as we kept the same pace- laughing with wild abandon. We turned into an alley, still giggling like mad. "That was brilliant," I told him as I caught my breath. "What did you do? What about Regulus?"

"All I did was throw a rock," he said. "I had meant to knock over a box, not the entire shelf."

I looked at him like he was insane. "Father is going to kill you! You better hope Mother doesn't find that ridiculous slingshot of yours. She'll go spare!"

He just gave me that grin of his that told me what he thought of that. Then he grabbed my arm again. "Come on!"

I felt much more relaxed walking through Diagon Alley with my brother, able to appreciate the difference today made on the well known marketplace. It wasn't everyday you bought your first year school supplies.

We walked around, moving our heads freely to look at the wonder around us with a new appreciation today. Sirius and I went into a candy shoppe and filled his pockets, I had none as they were improper, with chocolate frogs and Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Bean. We went by Eeylop's Owl Emporium and looked through the glass at the owls all in their cages, thinking to ourselves about which one we wanted. I dragged Sirius into Fortescue's for an ice cream cone as I had never had one. Such things were not proper for a lady and Mother had always insisted I get a cup on the few times we were allowed any at all- which was far less fun to eat. But this time, she wasn't there with her disapproving look and sharp voice calling our names.

"Cassiopeia!" Sirius and I both jumped at Mother calling me. They'd found us! Sirius grabbed my hand once more and we ran, making me drop my half eaten chocolate ice cream in the middle of the walk.

We knew they weren't chasing us, they would never in public, but it didn't stop us from running away as fast as we could with wild glee at the prospect of behaving in such an improper way. Sirius turned down another alley and I turned with him in perfect sync. It seemed to lead to a junction from four different alleys and directions, one we had never before had the chance to explore, when Sirius crashed into someone and I tripped over the huddle they made with a gruff sound of impact.

A boy looked up at us, the one that Sirius had run into, with hazel eyes hidden behind a round set of glasses and wild black hair that stuck up in every which direction. He had a grin plastered on his face that he hadn't lost from the collision and I recognized it, being Sirius' sister and silent partner in crime, as the grin of a fellow troublemaker. He seemed to be sizing us up for something, before his grin grew and he introduced himself.

"I'm James Potter."

There was a shout and a curse from the alley James had been running down and he briefly looked over towards it, getting up quickly. He grabbed both my and Sirius' arms and pulled us with him. "Come on!" He said. "He's coming!"

Sirius didn't have to look over at me to ask the question with one of our shared looks, and I didn't have to look over at him to give him my answer as we followed James in what felt like a wild adventure of running for our lives in which we had no clue who our villain was. We didn't have to know who James was, or know him any longer than our collide and he deciding we were worthy enough to run with him. He glanced back once or twice to be sure we were both still there behind him, each time with another bigger grin that we were.

I looked back behind me at some point as well, seeing the man who was still following us- waving what looked to be some sort of staff and shouting profanities. But the man's stride never faltered as he tried to catch up to us. I turned back to look where I was going, running face first into another boy my age, taller than either me or Sirius, or even James, with gangling limbs, sandy brown hair, and a scarred face.

We both landed on the cobblestone hard, my palms getting skinned in the process and I looked up into crystal blue eyes so much different than the cool blue gray eyes of me or Sirius. He gave a tentative smile at me which I returned as someone helped me up, his mother it seemed.

"Sia! Hurry, he's right behind you!" I looked over to see Sirius and James, who had stopped running as to not leave me behind. The man was right behind me.

I smirked to the boy I had ran into and grabbed him by the hand the way James had me and Sirius and pulled him with me to run. His mother called for him to come back, Remy, she called him. He was startled by the motion of me pulling him, but then he started to run too, keeping up with me perfectly. James and Sirius waited for us to pass and the four of us ran.

I looked behind us to where the man was, and sure enough he was there in all of his huffing and puffing, and watched as a crowd passed behind us as well- separating him from us. Up ahead I could see the alcove of an old store front that had long since gone out of business, no one apparently cared about something called a sock monkey, and pushed Remy into it. Sirius and James crammed into it with us and we waited with baited breath, watching the man who had been chasing us run past not realizing.

He passed and we all started laughing hysterically, panting and flushed and out of breath. James looked at us appreciatively and put his hand out. Then he seemed to think better of it, thinking four people was too many to keep shaking hands and introducing himself over again, and laid his hand flat in the cramped space between us. "James Potter."

I wasn't really sure what we were supposed to do with his hand, but Remy apparently did. He put his hand out on top of James'. "Remus Lupin."

"Sirius Black," my brother said, adding his hand to the pile.

Mine was last, the skinned wound on my palm stinging as I set it on Sirius', but none of us had lost our smiles. "Sia Black."

I looked to each one of them, my eyes landing on Remus. He smiled at me. I smiled back. "Are you three going to Hogwarts?" James asked.

Remus' eyes lit up. "Yes. It's my first year."

"Ours too," Sirius and I said in unison. James and Remus laughed.

"What was that?" Remus asked.

Sirius and I looked over to James. He smirked. "I may have just let a niffler loose in Borgin and Burke's."

I didn't know what a niffler was, and I knew Sirius didn't either, but it sounded mischievous and that was enough for us. And if it had anything to upset that awful man who now owned the dark and frightening shop, he had my total support. "What's a niffler?"

"They're obsessed with shiny things," he told us in an excited whisper. "They're perfect at causing commotion and trouble. I accidentally let one loose in Dad's study once."

"Yes," a deep voice said from behind us, "and I still haven't retrieved all of my things from the bloody beast."

We all turned around slowly to see a man who looked remarkably like James aside from the brown hair that was much lighter than the black of his son's, but not as light as Remus'. His face held an amused expression, a sort of sparkling in his eyes, and his arms were crossed in a very parental way.

"D-dad," James had suddenly become very pale.

Lord Potter leaned forward with a smirked and uncrossed his arms. "Let's not tell your mother about this, yeah?"

James grinned and nodded enthusiastically, turning to the rest of us to introduce us to his father. Sirius and I had heard the name Potter in brief passing, as Lord Potter worked at the Ministry with Father. Though, we weren't really sure what sort of work Father did at the Ministry, but we had had dinner with the Minister of Magic fairly often so he had to be important.

"It is wonderful to meet all of you," Lord Potter said, seemingly genuine. "But I'm afraid James still needs to be fitted for his ro-"

I assume he meant to say robes, but it was cut off by the very familiar shrieking of Mother. Why was it always my name she screeched? "Cassiopeia!"

I flinched, my shoulders drooping in anticipation for the lecture I would be getting. Sirius sent me a pitying look and I looked back at Remus with a smile before giving the smile to James. "That's us then," I sighed.

"Running off like that!" Mother approached us in mid rant with Reggie trailing behind and trying to keep up with her. "I've never been so publicly humiliated! Why, the whole thing makes me sick. You will be attending double piano lessons before you get on that train, and I expect you to go through each piece perfectly."

"Yes, Mother."

Sirius and I left the closeness and comfort of that small alcoved store front to stand in front of her. "Excuse me," the warm voice of Lord Potter interrupted her. "But I do believe it's all my James' fault. You see, he has a bit of a talent for trouble. I'm sure none of them meant any harm. I do apologize."

Mother pursed her lips. "Well. I just hope your son stays away from them. They don't need to be caught up in any more foolish shenanigans than they have already. Good day."

She whirled around and stalked off again. Sirius and I followed with soft sighs, but not before looking back sadly to the friends we had made with an unspoken, hopeful wish of meeting again on the train.


My fingers trailed over the piano keys and I resisted the urge to move my head along with it, thankful for once, for the books on my head keeping me from doing just that. Passion was improper for a lady. I hit the familiar notes until my thumb, that traitor, hit a C in the stead of a D. I kept going, hoping she wouldn't notice.

"Again, Cassiopeia. From the beginning. Don't slouch! Sit up straight."

My back straightened automatically and I resisted the urge to sigh. I was almost done, but again I started over. The melody filled the room again and I let my gaze drift to the open window and the pale curtains that danced with the breeze blowing through it. I wished we had a garden to stroll through on such a day, like I'd read in one of my books Mother didn't approve of. She didn't like the idea of children doing such things as playing outside.

"Mistress," Kreacher's voice said, I could imagine him bowing lowly to her. "It is time for Mistress' tea with Mistress Druella."

I clenched my eyes tightly, hoping she wouldn't feel the need to bring me along as I listened to her dismiss the house elf.

"You will finish this song," she told me, "once through without error. If you stop without doing so, I will know and leave you for your father to deal with. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Mother."

"Speak up, Cassiopeia," she commanded sharply, "a lady does not mumble under her breath."

"Yes, Mother," I said clearly.

"Better," she said. I heard her shoes click as she walked away to dress for tea with my aunt, no doubt to discuss not only my progress as a lady, but my cousins' as well. Bellatrix was already set to marry her betrothed within the next year or so, the date to which had yet to be set.

I was to marry his brother, a terrifying prospect at the age of eleven.

A moment after she had gone, my calico kitten jumped up to the top of the piano. Mother hadn't approved of her doing this, but she had said that cats were a perfectly acceptable pet for a lady. Owls were not meant to pets, she had said. Especially not to a lady. So, Sirius had gotten the great horned owl. And I had gotten Cordelia. I had been upset, at first, but Delia was too sweet not to love. As long as I kept her away from Mother.

At some point, near the part I messed up on the last time, Sirius came into the room and collapsed onto a sofa with a dissatisfied sigh. Delia looked over and meowed at him, but didn't leave her curled post and I said nothing, concentrating instead on my fingers gliding over the ivory keys and trying not to miss one. He stood up and dropped himself into the seat again with a louder sigh. He wasn't going to stop until I asked what was wrong.

I was tempted to make him suffer, but it would just keep distracting me. "What are you over there moaning about?" I asked without looking up. "Do you have to play through Chopin's entire Nocturne without a mistake?"

"I'm bored," he whined in a drawn out syllable. "Let's go do something."

"Did you miss the part where I have to finish this or Mother will murder me?"

"What's the worse she would do?"

I didn't answer and neither of us said anything. To be honest, neither of us were sure what the answer was. Since getting our Hogwarts letters both Mother and Father had been stricter, working even harder to tell us who they wanted us to be. I with my piano lessons and such, and Sirius with the legacy of our family. We had both paid dearly for the stunt in Diagon Alley, though, Sirius wouldn't tell me what Father did to him. But there was a very strong silencing charm around the room at the time and Sirius was very quiet for a long time afterwards. Mother lectured me, pacing around the spot I stood and randomly sending stinging hexes and such at me.

"Where's Reggie?" I asked in an attempt to change the heavy topic.

Sirius shrugged. "Last I saw, he was in the library looking at that stupid family book Father's been having me memorize. Just two more days, Sia. Two days and we don't have to see them until next summer."

"Yeah," I said as I finished the piece and leaned against the piano with a sigh. "Where we still have to be what they want us to be. Merlin forbid Bella tells Aunt Druella that I talked to a Gryffindor, or a Muggleborn, for that matter. If Narcissa writes Mother and tells her I'm not being properly polite to Rabastan Lestrange."

Sirius grimaced. "Then, at Hogwarts, let's not care. They can only do so much to us when we get home. Over the summer we'll stay out of their way, but let's for once not worry about it at school. Last month was so much fun, with James and Remus? Think of the fun we could have at Hogwarts."

"And Mother will find out we're friends and punish us further."

But what he said had struck a chord somewhere in me. What was the worse that could happen if we just had fun? I didn't want to be a perfect lady the way Narcissa was. I didn't want to be cruel the way Bella was. I wanted to be me, the way Andromeda was. She had refused her betrothal to Craven Avery and decided that she wasn't going to be a perfect wife. Could I do that? The thought of what Mother's reaction would be made me flinch, but I still thought it.

"Let go do something," I repeated Sirius' earlier request. He looked up with a smile and stood, leading me outside to play.


"A lady doesn't run, Cassiopeia." I couldn't even begin to explain how happy I was to be going away for a year, where she wouldn't be able to say that every day. Ladies don't slouch. Ladies don't run. Ladies don't dawdle. Ladies don't do anything ever that could possibly hold any semblance of fun or life.

Nevertheless, I slowed my feet to match Mother's as we walked up to a brick wall between platforms nine and ten. I wasn't pushing my cart, ladies didn't do such things, Father was. He caught me looking at him and winked at me with something of a smile. He always called me his little dove growing up, and though he left my upbringing to Mother, she was much more lax with me in his presence.

"Sirius," Mother said, "what are you waiting for?"

He looked confused, as did I, I'm sure. What were we supposed to do with a brick wall? "It's just a barrier," Father said in his baritone voice. "Run through it between platforms nine and ten to get to Hogwarts Express."

I was unsure, it looked fairly solid, but Sirius found the idea incredibly intriguing and ran as fast as he could with his trolley- his owl screeching in concern as they disappeared through it. Delia rested in my arms, but squirmed a bit when I held her tighter. It was my turn next.

I wanted to run the way Sirius had, but Mother was watching through narrowed eyes. So I calmly, with my pulse racing and my heart threatening to pound out of my chest, walked through the brick wall with the trickle of a cool breeze being the only thing I felt. It was amazing. I had never seen such an amazing sight, the long red train and the clouds of smoke rising from it. The crowds loud in a chatter and familiars running amok through their legs. I was glad Delia was so mild tempered, choosing instead to stay calm in my arms.

"Isn't it wicked, Sia?"

I nodded to Sirius' question without taking my eyes away from it. Father came next, Reggie following behind with Mother. They lead us aside out of the way to give us final demands for our time away from their influence.

"I expect you to keep up with your studies," Father said, looking at Sirius with something of a glare. "Make the right friends, they'll become good allies for our house later. Make the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black proud."

He didn't say 'or else', but the sentiment was there and I could swear I saw Sirius shiver. Mother gripped my chin tight and jerked my face to look at her. Her face was stern, her lips pursed.

"I expect you to be polite to Rabastan Lestrange. I had better not hear of you ignoring him and being rude. Don't let Sirius drag you into things, I expect you to keep to your studies and act the way we raised you to act. Is that clear?"

She hadn't let go of my face yet, squeezing harder to make her point with an unspoken threat should I not do what she wanted. I wrenched my chin out of her grip, making her lips purse more.

"Of course, Mother."

Sirius looked over at me and we shared a look. The courage we had previously felt that this was our time to do and be what we wanted, had dwindled at the first sight of danger and we were now thinking about the consequences should we go with our plans.

"You'll write, won't you?" Reggie asked with a smile that made me feel better. Little brothers. I grinned back.

"Of course we'll write to you. We'll tell you all about it. I bet we'll even find secret tunnels or something and I promise we'll tell you all about them so you know next year when you come."

He hugged me and then Sirius ruffled his hair, ignoring the glare from Mother as she tried to fix it afterwards. The train behind us let out a shrill whistle. Mother nudged my chin higher, ladies didn't duck their heads, and smoothed my hair down. Father told Sirius to straighten his robes. Then Father helped Sirius put our things on the train. We boarded the train after a final look from our parents and an encouraging smile from Regulus.

Delia was awake, sitting contently in my arms and looking around as we wandered down the corridor looking for a compartment. Then, we heard a familiar, boisterous laugh and grinned as we followed it. And there, James Potter was hanging halfway out of a window. We entered his otherwise empty compartment and I could see some sort of commotion out on the platform that he was watching. I had no doubt he was up to something again.

Someone, a woman with long dark hair looked towards James and he quickly tried to come back so she couldn't see him- bumping his head as he did so. He winced and rubbed his head, looking at us with a broad smile. "Sia! Sirius! I've been looking all over for you two. I haven't found Remus either. Want to sit together?"

"Yeah!" Sirius said. We sat across from him as the train began to move. James glanced out once more and sat back down.

"I may have let a few whizz bangs out and started them. Mum will lecture me for sure, but it kept her distracted enough for me to sneak my niffler on board. Wanna see?"

His face lit up when he asked this and at our enthusiastic nods, he dug in the pocket of his robes for something. And his face dropped. And he looked into his pocket. And he paled. Then he glanced around, looking to a small black form trying to squeeze through the closed compartment door. He lunged and grabbed the thing by its foot. It slumped at being caught and he held the creature up for us to see.

It was a small, plump thing with black fur, a bill, and tiny hands that fell towards the floor with gravity. "Oh my Merlin," I breathed. "It's so cute. That's a niffler?"

"Yeah, begged Mum and Dad for one. She's small, but, she's supposed to keep growing a little more. I call her Gem."

There was a hesitant knock on the glass of the compartment door and Remus was there, with a half-hearted smile and I would swear more scars. He opened the door before we could warn him and Gem wriggled her way out of James' grip to dart out of the door. Delia jumped out of my arms to chase her. In a jumble, we all scrambled out of the door to follow and catch them. Remus followed too and we watched the niffler run down the corridor as someone stepped out of a compartment and in our way. Lucius Malfoy.

"Miss Black," he gave a short bow, following Pure-blood custom. I gave my own, trying not to push past him to give chase. The boys had stopped behind me and Sirius nudged me. I was to deal with Lucius. "We regrettably were interrupted from our last conversation. I hope you've been well?"

"I have, yes. And yourself? I hear your father was promoted by the Minister himself. You must be proud." Sirius nudged me again to hurry it up and I interrupted Lucius before he was able to answer. "I do apologize, but, you see, my cat has run off and I simply must find her."

A tense expression passed over his face at my rudeness, but I tried not to notice as we squeezed past him and continued to run in the direction we had seen Gem and Delia go. We passed through different train cars until we found Delia scratching and meowing at a door. It was locked, but it didn't keep Sirius and James from pulling at it.

"Move," Remus said, pulling his wand out of his robes and pointing it at the door. "Alohomora."

There was a click in the door and Sirius opened, ushering us in. It was the baggage cart. There were owls, piles of trunks, and in the center was Gem- stuffing a shiny necklace into a pouch on her stomach. James immediately grabbed her, shaking her lightly. We watched as jewels and coins fell from the pouch in a fountain of valuables, ending with a clunk.

"Dad's pocket watch!" James picked it up and sent a mock glare at the niffler still in his grasp.

I turned to Remus. "That was awesome! You unlocking the door like that?"

His cheeks pinked and he looked down. "Oh, that. I've just been reading our school books. It was nothing."

"I couldn't have done it," I told him.

"She's right," James said. "I can't do anything with mine except make sparks come out of it."

There was a noise at the door and someone was opening it. Remus nudged me that we needed to hide and I grabbed Delia, following him, Sirius, and James behind a particularly tall pile of trunks that I desperately hoped wouldn't fall on us. It was cramped and reminded me of that alcove on our first meeting. I didn't seem to be the only one, as we were all looking at each other with smiles.

"I thought I heard something," a voice said, male.

"Probably just one of the owls or something," a woman said.

"But the door was unlocked," the man argued.

"Lionel probably forgot to lock it again. He's always doing that."

The man grumbled, but his voice trailed off as they left the compartment. We all breathed sighs of relief. "Let's get out of here," James said.

I nodded my agreement, but the door was locked. Remus tried his unlocking spell again, but nothing happened. They must have used a stronger charm or something, but now we were locked in. I put Delia back down and groaned.

"We're going to be in so much trouble," I told Sirius. "Mother is going to kill me."

"No, she'll blame me for leading you astray." She would, but then I would still be punished for letting him.

"Wait," James said. "We just have to wait until we get there and then we can sneak out. They'll have to unlock it for people to get their stuff."

So we sat in the middle of the floor, Gem having been put in James' pocket where she couldn't get away. Remus found his trunk and passed around chocolate frogs for us. I had never seen so much chocolate in one place until he opened his trunk and we saw the giant pile of it, some brands I didn't recognize.

"What House are you all going into?" James asked, biting the head off of his chocolate frog. "My family's been in Gryffindor forever."

It hadn't been a question that we would be in Slytherin. Every Black went into Slytherin. But Sirius said, "Gryffindor."

My head snapped up at this. "Siri, what are you talking about? A Black has never been in Gryffindor before."

He grinned at me. "Then I guess we'll have to be the first, eh?"

"I don't know what House I'll be in," Remus said. "My dad didn't go to Hogwarts and my mother's a Muggle."

"We're both expected to be in Slytherin," I said. "I don't even want to think about what Mother or Father would say if we weren't." Much less what they would say if they knew we were friends with a half-blood, but at least he wasn't Muggleborn.

"Wouldn't they be proud wherever?" Remus asked with a frown.

James seemed to understand though. After our adventure in Diagon Alley, we had learned more about the Potter family. They believed in equality between Muggleborns and Pure-bloods, the idea that everyone was worthy to learn magic if they were born with it no matter what family they were born into. Father had been furious to hear that, after he had been called back to the Ministry for an emergency, that we were found with the Potter heir.

"No," he told Remus. "Black is one of the oldest pure-blood families there is. If they made it into a house like Gryffindor, with how much Slytherin and Gryffindor hate each other, the only reason they might not be disowned is because they're the eldest."

"Oh." Remus looked disappointed. Then, "You have a bruise, Sia."

He pointed to where Mother had grabbed my chin and I shrugged. "It's nothing."

There was silence. Then Sirius broke it. "I don't care," he said. "I'd rather be in Hufflepuff than in Slytherin. So, I'll try to be in Gryffindor. Narcissa wouldn't tell us how we're Sorted, but I'm sure I can trick some test into telling me to go in Gryffindor."

"I couldn't," I said quietly. "I don't want to go into Slytherin either, but I don't know how we would be put anywhere else. That's a long line of ancestry to break away from."

"You two can do it," James said. "We'll stay friends no matter what."

"Friends?" Remus asked, looking at the three of us hopefully.

I smiled, looking at them. "Friends."

Sirius shrugged. "I mean, who else is going to cause the amount of trouble we can? And we do it on accident! Imagine what we could do if we tried!"

And it was the start of something beautiful.

A/N: Sooo, I have a few chapters of this written ahead and I really like the idea of Sirius having a sister. I just love the Marauders. There will be changes from canon, obviously. Some of these will be the absence of Peter in the Marauders. He is still a character and will be in my story, but will not have the part J.K. Rowling gave him. Also, they will be less the bullies than they are in canon. They'll still be jerks at first, but they grow up faster in this that canon. How do you guys feel about a Sirius and Severus romance? I really like it, as well as a Remus and Sia love. I am not going to spend too much time on they're early years after first year. Any ideas, let me know. I am always open to ideas and constructive critism, but any ship hate or hate in general will be ignored and likely laughed at. Dasvidanya, Mia.